No More Shame

 

“Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth…”

Isaiah 54:4 NLT

 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1 NLT

            It is thick, heavy, and all-consuming. It can be summoned by a thought of an embarrassing moment, a compromising encounter, or a bad decision. Shame. It can be internalized. A sense of personal and moral failure can make you feel like you are the defective one. There are times when I am affected by shame. I often think about my low moments, and the embarrassing scenarios of my adolescence, and I quiver with regret. The dictionary defines shame as “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” Shame blinds you from seeing your true identity.

 The good news is that in Christ there is no condemnation( Romans 8:1). Christ is our great Redeemer and He will give us honor for shame. Isaiah 54:4 states “ Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth.” Isn’t that amazing?  Because of our position in Christ, shame no longer controls us. We do not have to  dwell in shame. Scripture tells us that there is no more disgrace for us. The memories will not haunt us for we will no longer remember shame. It is important to remind ourselves of the truth of the gospel. That way, when we are overcome by shame, we can dispel them and take every thought captive. We can remind ourselves of our identity in Christ. We have freedom in Christ. Shame has no power over us. We are forgiven. Jesus already paid the highest price for our freedom. There is no condemnation. When God looks at us, he sees His son, Jesus.  So, what do we do when we remember the incident that causes us shame?

 

1.      Let us remind ourselves of the truth of God’s word. We are forgiven. We are redeemed. God gives us beauty for ashes. He delights in us and calls us beloved. There is no shame that is too insurmountable for the cross of Christ.

2.      Let us pray. Let us ask God to help us see the truth. Ask Him to help us see ourselves the way that He sees us. Ask Him to help us to apply His word to our lives  and to help us not to remember the shame anymore.

3.      When those  thoughts arrive, let us openly declare the truth of our identity in Christ. The lie is that we are still in bondage, but the truth is that Jesus died for our freedom. Openly declare that we are  free. Shame has no more power over us. There is no more disgrace for us  Only honor. The enemy tries to get us to feel downgraded, but we are children of the Most High King. We are bought with a price. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. God is in charge of our story. He writes the best stories. His banner over us is love, not condemnation. God is not ashamed of us. He loves us passionately and ardently. We can walk in the freedom of God’s love. No more shame.